Mayoral Duties
by Epic Laughter
Summary: Lazy Julia moves out of her parents' home in search of a simpler life, but winds up in too deep when the animals of Bluebell recruit her as their mayor! Will she be able to cope with the job, or will she collapse under the pressure? Slice of life and cute, I do my best to keep this story in the spirit of Animal Crossing. Will be updated more often after NL comes out!
1. Julia's Arrival

**AN: Hello, everyone! This is my first –and probably my last– Animal Crossing fanfic! I mainly write for the Viva Piñata video game, but I figured it would be fun to write for another fandom on the side as a change of pace.**

**No offense, but there are too many stories in this section that deal with murder or the "dark side" of Animal Crossing. I wanted to write something cute and slice-of-life-y, something innocent and closer to the game's roots. This will be based on Animal Crossing: Jump Out, which, at the time of writing, isn't available in the US. Once it does become available in the US, I will continue this fanfic! The rest of the town's residents that move in will be people who actually inhabit my Animal Crossing town. I'll change the names to the US names and fix up this chapter once the game is released in the US, as well.**

**I hope you enjoy! I'm really looking forward to the US release, the game seems absolutely perfect and I'm really excited to write in the Animal Crossing universe. My story will probably differ from the game's actual introduction, but that's okay, nothing wrong with switching it up a bit!**

**Okay, I'm done babbling. Enjoy the story, and review if you want to~**

_Chapter 1_

_Nothing like an aimless journey!_

Julia smiled as she gazed out the window of the train, the scenery flying by. She had just turned nineteen and had enough of her home life, so she crammed all of her worldly possessions into a suitcase and announced that she was leaving. Her tearful mother bid her goodbye, but Julia had a feeling her mother was finally glad she was out of the house so she could be alone with her father. Julia didn't mind; if she had a kid that stuck around for nineteen years, she'd probably want them to leave too.

Julia knew very well how lazy she was, too. Her mother always begged her to get a part-time job, get a better fashion sense, find a boyfriend, go to college…where Julia was going, there would be none of her mother's naggings. She'd be by herself, making her own rules! It was gonna be _great!_

She wasn't sure exactly where she was going, though. The train had already stopped twice, and Julia told herself that she was just going to get off on the fourth stop. Four was always her lucky number.

Julia also knew that she was heading into animal territory. Her mother always looked down on the towns populated by animals; saying she had a hard time believing that an anthropomorphic cat could hold a steady job. Her mom had never met any animals, as far as Julia was concerned, but Julia had gone to school with an anteater named Lulu who has her eyes on bigger and better things than most animals usually attained. Lulu managed to become fairly popular, too, which Julia found amazing. Julia longed for the simple, sleepy life that Lulu talked about, so Julia supposed she owed Lulu for the journey she was making.

_It's going to be so cool living in a town full of animals…_ Julia kicked her legs, giggling under her breath. _I really like cats…I hope some of my neighbors are cats! I hope they don't think it's weird that I owned a cat growing up…maybe I won't mention it. Ooh, a hamster neighbor would be nice, too…_

Julia had owned a hamster briefly in the sixth grade, but he was unfortunately eaten by her cat. She knew she wouldn't mention _that_ story to her neighbor, especially if there was also a cat in town…

_I wonder how in touch they are with their natural instincts…_ Julia bit her lip, fiddling with a lock of her black hair. _I hope a dog won't bite me…or hump my leg. Eew._

A voice came over the intercom. _"Now arriving at Treehut! Please be cautious of the doors!"_

Julia was the only person in this train car, so she didn't see anyone get up or get on. The train started moving again after a few minutes.

_All right!_ Julia felt determination well up in her heart. _The next town is my new home!_

She wondered how long it would take…what kind of place would her new home be, anyway? She hoped it would be gorgeous and close to nature, so she could take naps outside. She was sure people would judge her for sleeping on the grass back in her human town, but she really doubted that animals would feel the same way. Julia's favorite sight was a cute animal taking a nap outside…she wondered if it would still be cute if the animals were human sized?

Julia imagined a person sized cat curled up under a tree, using its own tail as a pillow. She felt her heart quiver and she let a huge smile cross her face. _Yup! Still cute!_

Julia leaned over to examine her reflection in the mirror. She wanted to look presentable for her first foray into her new home. First impressions were _everything._ Her black hair was sticking up just a little bit, so she spat on her palms and smoothed it down. She was glad her skin was okay, no blemishes or pimples, and she was wearing the best clothes she had. A simple red T-Shirt with the number 1 on it, blue jeans, and brown loafers.

Yeah, Julia wasn't exactly a fashion expert. She hoped they had clothes that would fit humans in her new home…

The train finally stopped, and that same voice came over the intercom.

_"Now arriving at Bluebell! Please be cautious of the doors!"_

Julia jumped out of her chair, grabbing her suitcase and lugging it out the door. The harsh sunlight hitting her suddenly hurt her eyes a little, but she didn't care. Once she got used to the light, she approached the railroad's guard rail and looked out at her new home.

_Bluebell, huh?_ Julia beamed as she looked around the town. It was full of rolling hills, beautiful flowers, and tall trees. The occasional house dotted the landscape and she saw a couple large buildings in the distance. She wondered what those were very briefly before heading down the stairs, taking her first step into her new life.

_I wonder if any houses are free…_ Julia thought as she stepped onto the soft grass. _Maybe there's a Town Hall…I'll go look there!_

_ACACACACACACACACACACACACAC_

After aimless wandering through the town, Julia came upon a small crowd in front of a very official-looking building. At the head of the crowd was a light yellow dog who looked like a shi tzu, wearing a skirt and blazer. She was waving her arms and looking rather stressed out, trying to calm down the crowd.

"I-it's okay!" she yelled over the din of five voices. "Tortimer retiring is no big deal! I-I can take over for him!" She blurted that suddenly and seemed like she regretted it, instantly covering her mouth after she spoke.

"We don't _want_ you to take over, Shizu!" a cranky sounding voice shouted. "You're too scatterbrained!"

"Let's just face it!" a female voice cried out. "_None_ of us are cut out for the job as mayor!"

"I can do it!" an over-confident male voice blurted, and everyone in the crowd instantly retorted "NO!"

"Um…" Julia held up an arm weakly. "Excuse me…"

The din of voices suddenly ceased and everyone turned to look at her. Julia felt her heart freeze; having seven pairs of giant animal eyes on her at once was kind of scary…and was that guy in the corner a _tiger?!_

"Hey, she looks smart!" a short, extremely cute fat hamster piped up, pointing right at Julia. Julia got a little too caught up in how cute the little hamster guy was to pay attention to the next few comments.

"Yeah, she looks like she has a good head on her shoulders!"

"Hey, we match! I like her already!"

"B-but she's new…"

"She looks better suited to the job than any of us do, Shizu!"

"Whuh-what job?" Julia broke out of her cuteness-induced fog. Everyone in the crowd grinned in anticipation as the dog girl (Shizu, apparently) approached Julia with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Please be our Mayor!" Shizu put her paws together under her chin, looking at Julia pleadingly. "Our mayor just retired, so we're at a total loss on what to do…!"

"What?!" Julia took a step back, her eyes wide. "I just got here and you're asking me to be your _mayor?!"_

The crowd migrated over to where Shizu and Julia were, everyone in it adopting the same pleading expression. Julia was way too overwhelmed to properly react, her jaw hanging open stupidly.

She could get a proper look at the crowd now, at least. She assumed they were the residents of Bluebell. There was that adorable chubby hamster, his lower lip quivering and his eyes dewy as he looked at Julia.

_Ugh, I could NEVER say no to a face like THAT…_ Julia mentally kicked herself.

Standing next to the hamster was a tall, slim white cat, wearing a red helmet and a bright red shirt that matched Julia's perfectly. Near him was a white tiger, even with that desperate expression, he just looked downright scary. Julia made a mental note not to get on his bad side. The tiger had two girls near him, a white and brown bunny and another cat, this one white with short, flipped blonde hair and lipstick. Last but not least was a nervous looking octopus with a huge, round head that looked strangely delicious…

Julia didn't question the logic of the octopus being able to walk on land. She was too overwhelmed by everyone trying to get her to agree to be the mayor.

"Is it…" Julia bit her lip, finally finding her voice. "…a lot of work?"

"Oh no, not at all!" Shizu shook her head. "I'll handle all the technical aspects for you, Miss…um…"  
"Julia," Julia answered. _Elected mayor and they don't even know my name…_

"Mayor Julia…I think that has a nice ring to it!" The octopus' glassy black eyes shimmered and he rested his tentacles on his cheeks.

"I think a female mayor would be beneficial," The blonde cat fluffed her hair and smiled at Julia. "Girls in this town are…_vastly_ outnumbered. It would be nice to have a feminine voice in the office."

Julia bit her lip again, her eyes scanning all the hopeful faces of the residents of Bluebell.

"Okay, okay!" Julia heaved a giant sigh. "Fine, I'll do it, I'll be your mayor!"

The crowd burst into cheers, hopping up and down and applauding. Shizu squealed with delight, beaming at Julia.

"I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job!" she gushed. "Don't worry; I'll help you out as much as I can! You'll find your feet in no time!"

"Nice to meet you, Julia!" The hamster offered a fluffy paw to Julia, smiling up at her. Geez, he was short, he only came up to Julia's tummy! "My name's Hamsuke!"

"No, _I _get to shake her hand first!" the helmeted cat shoved Hamsuke aside with a bump of his hip, holding out his paw. "We _do_ match, after all!"

"Ugh, I can't _stand_ you, Kid Cat!" Hamsuke yelled as he wobbled to his feet.

"Pay no attention to him, dude," Kid Cat shook his head. "He's a party pooper."

With that, Hamsuke let out a battle cry and leapt upon Kid Cat like a bat out of hell. The two got into a full blown fight right in the middle of the crowd, biting, punching, and scratching each other.

"Shuh-should I do something?!" Julia asked Shizu, unable to take her eyes off of the two fighting boys.

Shizu shook her head. "These two are constantly at each other's throats…it's best to let them fight it out…I'll be waiting for you in town hall, okay? Come on in whenever you're ready." Shizu carefully side-stepped the fight and headed into the building.

_Geez, they really must fight a lot…_ Julia blinked. No one else in the crowd was even batting an eye at the pair fighting; they must really be used to it.

"Sorry about those _animals…"_ The female cat glared at the fight, as Hamsuke sunk his teeth right into Kid Cat's arm. "I promise the rest of us are much more civilized. I'm Monique, and this is Bunnie," she gestured to the rabbit standing next to her. "We're close friends."

"Nice to meet you, Mayor Julia!" Bunnie grabbed Julia's hand and shook it enthusiastically. Bunnie had a cute face and an even cuter outfit; Julia had to bite her lip to keep from squealing. _God, are these people even aware of how adorable they are?_

"Nice to meet you too," Julia beamed at Bunnie. She hoped she would get along with her and Monique…they seemed to be the only girls in town, apart from Shizu, and Julia thought it would just be sad if she only managed to make friends with her secretary…

"I'm Rolf," The white tiger interrupted Julia's thoughts with his introduction. After giving a curt nod, he walked off, mumbling something incomprehensible.

"Oh, don't mind him," Bunnie shook her head, letting out a little sigh. "He's really cranky. He'll get used to you eventually, I'm sure!" Bunnie giggled, putting a paw over her mouth.

"Hopefully…" Monique added, looking more skeptical than her peppier friend. "We'll be seeing you around, Mayor." With a wink, she grabbed Bunnie's arm and the two of them headed off too.

With three of the people in the crowd gone, Julia saw the still-fighting Hamsuke and Kid Cat, with the dumpling-like octopus watching them with concern.

"Um…" Julia asked the octopus, who raised his head quickly, his cheeks coloring red. "And who might you be?"

"Tuh-Takoya!" he spluttered, obviously taken off guard. His attention seemed to be fully on Julia now; he didn't notice the fight getting closer and closer to him. "It's nice to-AHH!" Kid Cat bumped right into Takoya, sending him plummeting in a frenzy of flailing tentacles.

The fight suddenly froze, Kid Cat had managed to get Hamsuke in a choke hold and Hamsuke was still chewing on Kid Cat's arm. Both of them looked at the fallen Takoya, looking fairly guilty.

"Oh, no!" Julia ran forward, standing over the fallen octopus. "Are you all right?"

"Oh man, dude, you okay?" Kid Cat fretted. "It was Hamsuke's fault," Kid Cat added, glaring at his hostage.

"No way,_ you're_ the one that bumped him, Kid Cat!" Hamsuke exclaimed, trying to squirm out of Kid Cat's hold.

"It was an accident, okay?" Julia squinted at the two of them. "My first order as mayor is for you two to stop fighting in front of the town hall!"

Kid Cat and Hamsuke briefly exchanged a glance.

"Fine, but who won?" Hamsuke inquired.

"It was a draw," Julia massaged her temples. "Actually, the whole thing was foul, since you hurt someone!" Julia was actually just making this up as she went; she hoped these two meatheads would buy it. "Apologize to Takoyaki, and go home!"

"Takoya…" the octopus quietly corrected.

Kid Cat let Hamsuke go and the two of them quietly grumbled "Sorry…" to Takoya.

"Okay, good," Julia smiled in approval. "See? Not so hard, is it?"

Kid Cat and Hamsuke glared at each other. Julia had a sinking feeling that the two of them would try and have a rematch as soon as they were out of her sight…

"Later, New Mayor," Hamsuke waved a chubby arm before heading off.

"I hope you're not always gonna be this bossy," Kid Cat huffed, shrugging his fluffy shoulders. With that, he was on his way.

"This town seems like it's a lot of trouble…" Julia swallowed. "I hope I didn't get in too deep by taking this job…"

"You'll be fine…" Takoya groaned, obviously a little banged up. "Mind giving me a hand…um…if you can?"

Julia offered her hand to Takoya and he wrapped a tentacle around it. She hoisted him to his feet and he smoothed his shirt.

"That was one heck of a first impression," Julia pushed a lock of her dark hair behind one ear. "I don't even have a house yet, and I'm the mayor already?"

Takoya looked at her, unblinking, his face absolutely incredulous.

"What's wrong?" Julia asked, furrowing her brow.

"You-you should ask Shizu about that!" Takoya began to sweat a little bit, obviously concerned. "Th-there aren't any open houses! It might be a problem…"

"What?!" Julia exclaimed before slumping over in disappointment. "So…I'm going to be completely homeless?"

"You're the mayor…" Takoya gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder with one of his tentacles. "I'm sure Shizu would be able to arrange _something!_ Plus houses get built really, really fast here! Our real estate guy is awesome." He put his tentacles behind his back, his sucker-like mouth curling into a smile. "Like I said, ask Shizu about it!"

"But you're hurt," Julia looked at the bumps and scratches on Takoya's arm. His shirt had torn a little bit, too.

Takoya shook his enormous head. "Don't worry about me! Worry about _you!_ You're number one in this town now, Mayor!" He grabbed Julia's shoulders and whirled her around, pushing her towards the town hall.

"Okay, okay! You don't have to push!" Julia wasn't sure whether to laugh or not, but a little giggle slipped through.

"Good luck," Takoya patted Julia on the back once they finally reached the door. Julia looked over her shoulder at Takoya, and his eyes glimmered. "You're gonna become a pretty big deal!"

"Yeah…I guess so…" Julia half-smiled and waved goodbye before heading into the town hall.

She honestly wasn't sure how to feel about becoming a pretty big deal…


	2. Rivals No More

**AN: Hey, guys! I know I said I wouldn't update this until Animal Crossing: New Leaf came out in the US, but since it was released in Japan I wrote this in a fit of excitement one night…it's been sitting on my computer for weeks so, hey, I figured I'd might as well post it!**

**Expect this and the previous chapter to be revised when the game finally is released here. I want the characters to have their US names and I want to replace Bunnie and maybe Rolf with neighbors that end up in my actual town! Without further ado, here's the new chapter's first draft! I hope you enjoy it.**

After entering the Town Hall, Shizue had began on an enormous tirade about how excited she was about having Julia as their new mayor, she was the first female mayor in Bluebell's history, et cetera, et cetera, when she finally stopped when a realization came to her. Shizue had turned bright red and realized that Julia still didn't have a place to stay! Shizue directed Julia to Tom Nook's real estate, which was at the mall across the train tracks. Julia made her way to the mall and was pleased at the size of it. Not too big, not too small…everything a town could want! There were some vacant stores, though…she wondered if she would be tasked with filling them up with new tenants.

She realized she wouldn't mind that too terribly. It might be fun to make the town just a bit livelier!

"Ahh, here's the one I'm looking for…" Julia pushed open the door of the real estate shop.

There was a fat raccoon in a sweater vest inside, absent-mindedly shining up a mailbox that was on display. He lit up when he saw Julia and immediately rushed over, dropping the rag he was using on the floor.

"Oh, I haven't seen your face before, yes?" He took Julia's hand and vigorously shook it. "It's very nice to meet you. My name is Tom Nook, and I'm this town's real estate manager. How can I help you today?"

"Well, uh, I'm the new mayor…" It felt so weird for Julia to say that! But she figured she might as well drop her title, hey, maybe it would net her a free house!

"Oh yes, of course!" Tom Nook suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. "Shizue phoned and told me to expect you! Sorry, I didn't expect our mayor to be so young, hm?"

"Understandable," Julia nodded. She certainly didn't expect to become the mayor…she couldn't blame Tom Nook for being confused. She wasn't exactly dressed officially, either.

"Do you have an idea of where you would like your house?" Tom Nook grabbed a jacket off of a coat rack and put it on. "We can walk through town together and pick the perfect spot, yes? I'll put down a build site for you."

"That would be awesome!" Julia grinned. She honestly couldn't wait to see what her new house would look like…and judging by all of the cool house pieces in Tom Nook's shop, the possibilities were endless!

"I've been meaning to go out and put down another one anyway, so it works out, hm?" Tom Nook smiled at Julia before heading out the door, her right behind him.

"Someone else is moving in?" Julia asked, blinking.

"Yes indeed! About time too. Not counting all the store workers, the town boasts a population of only seven," Tom Nook shook his head. "Hardly respectable! I'm sure you want quite a larger population in your precious town, Mayor."

"To be honest, I haven't even thought of things like that…" Julia admitted as the two of them quickly crossed the train tracks.

"Ah, yes, you've still yet to get settled. My apologies. Speaking of getting settled, let's find a site for your house, yes?" Tom Nook began looking around and Julia followed his example. They heard two loud voices not too far away and Tom Nook's brow creased.

"What's going on over there?" he asked Julia, his voice concerned. "It sounds like it may turn…violent."

"Oh no…" Julia started to run towards the voices. Tom Nook struggled to keep up with her.

"Miss Mayor! Not so fast…! I can't keep up…at my age!" Tom Nook huffed and puffed when he finally caught up with her. They reached an area with two houses with a bit of distance between them, and in between those houses were Hamsuke and Kid Cat, locked in a shouting match. "Oh, it's those…troublesome kids…" Tom Nook straightened up and folded his arms. "I wonder what it is _this_ time."

"You better move soon, or you're getting a knuckle sandwich right in that giant mouth of yours!" Kid Cat clenched his paw into a fist and waved it in Hamsuke's face.

"I'm not going _anywhere!"_ Hamsuke spat. "I have too many memories here! _You_ should move! Do everyone a favor! I hate waking up and seeing your stupid face in the morning!"

"I should say the same to you!" Kid Cat reiterated.

Julia stomped over to them and yelled "HEY!"

That got their attention. Both of them whipped their heads toward Julia, looking just a little bit sheepish.

"What's the problem here?" Julia asked, planting her hands on her hips.

"H-hey Mayor!" Hamsuke waved a little paw at Julia. Julia wasn't about to let his cuteness distract her from scolding him. She had only seen them fight twice, and already she was sick of his stupid rivalry with Kid Cat.

"Well, Hamsuke here is refusing to move!" Kid Cat threw his paws in the air. "I'm _sick_ of being his next door neighbor! All I can hear at night are those stupid girly movies he likes!"

Hamsuke suddenly turned a bright shade of red. "They're _not_ girly! They're funny and perfectly manly! And you're the one who muscled in on my territory! I lived here for a year, perfectly happily, and then you come in with your stupid house and plop down next to me!" Hamsuke turned away from Kid Cat and stuck out his lower lip. "I don't want to be your neighbor anymore! Mayor, tell Kid Cat he has to leave!"

"No, Mayor, tell Hamsuke _he_ has to leave!" Kid Cat stomped a foot like a toddler who was just told he couldn't have cookies before dinner.

Julia shut her eyes in thought, rubbing her temples. "You don't want to be neighbors anymore…?"

"Exactly!" Kid Cat and Hamsuke shouted in unison, glaring at each other afterwards.

"Tom Nook?" Julia looked over her shoulder at the raccoon, who was awkwardly standing around, unsure of what to say.

"Yes?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Put my house right between these two idiots' houses," Julia pointed at the plot of land in front of her.

"What?!" Kid Cat and Hamsuke exclaimed.

"Oh, yes, I can do that!" Tom Nook rushed forward and began setting up the building site.

"There, now you're not neighbors anymore," Julia smirked at Kid Cat and Hamsuke. "So don't gripe! I solved your problem!"

"I guess you did…" Hamsuke hunched over, wearing a pout again.

"Mayor…you're evil!" Kid Cat exclaimed, his expression a mixture of amazement and terror.

"Maybe I am…" Julia snickered as evilly as she could and Kid Cat covered his mouth.

"Miss Mayor, I can't build your house right away, you understand, so I'll set up a tent for you for the time being, yes?" Tom Nook called over his shoulder.

"Okay, Tom Nook, I understand!" Julia nodded. She looked at Hamsuke and Kid Cat, who were struck silent by Julia's housing choice. "This way I can keep an eye on you two…I won't rest until you stop fighting all the time." Julia gave them a quick "I'm-watching-you" gesture. "I'm going back to the Town Hall. Can you two behave yourselves for the rest of the day?"

"Yes, Mayor," Hamsuke grumbled, putting a pout back on his impossibly cute face.

"I hope you're not always gonna be this bossy," Kid Cat huffed, folding his arms and spitting a little.

"I like to think I'm nice if you get on my good side…" Julia put her hands behind her back and gave Kid Cat a coy little wink. "Make sure you behave and it might be sooner than you think!" With that, she headed back to the Town Hall, a spring in her step.

"Well, that's that!" Tom Nook announced after setting up Julia's tent. "Hardly a palace, yes, but it will do for now-hm?" Tom Nook turned around to see that Julia had left. "Miss Mayor?"

"She took off a few seconds ago," Kid Cat moved his head in the direction Julia headed in.

"Oh well…I'll let her know of her housing price later. Looks like this area is getting more populated, yes? Maybe I should put the new housing site nearby…" Tom Nook smiled to himself. "Yes, I think that would be grand! This little corner will be bustling with activity!"

"Oooh, someone new is moving in?" Hamsuke's pout disappeared and he bounced up and down with excitement. "Radical!"

"Two new people in a week? That's a new record, this place is dead!" Kid Cat snickered. "Here's hoping this one sticks around. Do you know who it is, Mr. Nook?"

"Ahh, a young hamster like you, Hamsuke," Tom Nook grinned at the much shorter Hamsuke. "He told me he's really looking forward to living here! I hope you make him feel welcome…Kid Cat, please keep your prejudices to yourself, hm? Don't want to scare him away." Tom Nook gave Kid Cat a Look and Kid Cat turned bright red beneath his helmet.

"Hey, I'm not speciesist against hamsters! Only one of them grinds my gears!" Kid Cat waved his paws around, dismissing Tom Nook's allegations.

"I'm right here, you know," Hamsuke was ready to punch Kid Cat in the back of the head, but he didn't want to risk Julia's wrath…instead, he turned his attention back to the real estate raccoon. "What's this new guy's name, Mr. Nook?" Hamsuke asked.

"I believe it's Graham!" Nook nodded. Suddenly, Hamsuke turned several shades paler and made a face like he was staring down an oncoming train.

"What's wrong?" Kid Cat stepped back. "You look like you're gonna puke. Don't puke on me, dude!"

"That's…!" Hamsuke's voice cracked and he coughed, his look of terror becoming impossibly intense. "That's my little brother!"

_ACACACACACACACACAC_

"Oh, Mayor? Mayor?" Julia heard a familiar voice during her aimless walk through town. She turned to see Monique, waving her over, a smile on her red painted lips.

"What's up?" Julia asked as she made her way over to the cat. "You can call me Julia, by the way…I'm still not really feeling like a mayor quite yet…" Julia nervously chuckled, wrapping a lock of her hair around her finger.

"I can tell…you certainly aren't _dressing_ like one, either!" Monique sighed, resting a paw on her cheek and shaking her head. "Sweetie, if you're going to be the symbol of this town, you have to be stylish! It's an absolute _must!"_

"Uh, are you sure about that? Shizue said it was fine if I dressed casually…" Julia took a step back. She was never a fan of shopping back home…her mother would make her spend _hours_ in stores, looking at the most boring clothes she could imagine…Julia had a sinking feeling Monique would make her do the same.

"Oh, honey, Shizue doesn't know the first thing about the world! She's all caught up in her work…come on, come to the Able Sisters' with me. I'll pay for _everything._ Think of it as my way of welcoming you to our town," Monique leaned forward, just a bit too close to Julia's face. Julia was overcome with the flowery scent of Monique's perfume. "I promise, when I'm through with you, you'll turn heads! No, you'll break necks!" Monique seemed really excited about this. She really did like to make over those she deemed less fortunate than her.

"I don't wanna kill anyone!" Julia took another step back and Monique let out an elegant laugh.

"Oh, you silly girl! You really are young…it's a metaphor! Now come along, please," Monique started heading in the general direction of the train tracks. Sighing, Julia followed her. It would be nice to get some free clothes…and there was no way she'd be able to pick out something fashionable on her own.

The two of them arrived at the store in a short amount of time. Monique held the door open for Julia and they entered.

Julia was greeted by the sight of two porcupines, one blue and one brown. The blue one was animatedly talking to the brown one, who seemed wrapped up in her work.

The blue porcupine looked up and beamed when she saw Monique. "Ahh, look, Sis, our fave customer is here!" She bounced with enthusiasm and ran over to Monique.

"H-hi…" The brown porcupine waved from her work station before becoming absorbed in her sewing again.

"Hello, Mabel, Sable," Monique waved at the both of them. "I brought someone I thought you should meet. This is Julia…she's the new mayor."

"She's the _mayor?"_ The blue porcupine, Mabel, covered her mouth with shock. "But she's so young!"

"I know, it's surprising, isn't it?" Monique chuckled. "I'm sure she'll do a fine job. We'll have to see if she's up to the task."

Julia felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Please don't talk about me like I'm not here..." she grumbled.

"Oh, sorry, that was rude…" Monique looked genuinely apologetic and Julia decided to forgive her. "Well, let's do what we came here for!" Monique headed towards a shelf in the back of the room and Julia followed her.

Julia's eyes widened when she saw the clothes on display. They were cute…_really_ cute! Much cuter than any other clothes she had ever seen!

"These are fantastic…!" Julia absent-mindedly rubbed the silky fabric of a navy blue pleated skirt between two fingers.

"Heh, I knew you would like it here," Monique smiled at Julia. "I think I can figure out a perfect ensemble for you! Move aside, Mayor, I have some work to do!"

Julia moved out of Monique's way and she quickly chose a blue top tied with a ribbon and that navy blue skirt Julia had been admiring a few moments before. "These will make you look professional, and you'll be comfortable, to boot!" Monique whirled around, holding up the clothes in front of Julia's body. "Oh, you're going to look just adorable!"

"We have fitting rooms!" Mabel piped up, sidling by Monique. "Right this way!"

Monique handed Julia the clothes and she disappeared behind the red curtain. All of a sudden, the door to the back room opened, and Takoya, clad in an apron that matched Mabel's, came stumbling into the room. He was carrying a giant box and obviously having quite a hard time with it.

"Hey, Mabel, we got another accessory delivery…where do you want me to put it?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Put it down for now, I'll bring it to Labelle later," Mabel folded her paws, not taking her eyes off the curtain.

"Gladly, whew," Takoya gently placed the package on the floor and stretched his tentacles.

"Your part time job taking a lot out of you, Takoya?" Monique asked, a smirk on her face. She loved to tease this kid about where he worked, but she did admire him. Not many guys would willingly work in such a girly store. She knew very well that whenever a male villager would drop by, Takoya would go running in the back. She made sure to keep his occupation on the down-low for him.

"Nah, I can take it," Takoya posed triumphantly. "Hey, what are you all waiting for?"

"The mayor is going through a transformation," Monique closed her eyes, her tone completely serious. "She has entered the changing room a girl, but she will leave it a woman!" Monique's tone filled with passion.

"Okay then…" Takoya took a step back. _Girls are so weird…_

Suddenly, the curtain was moved aside, and out stepped Julia, looking as professional as professional could be.

"Oh my gosh!" Mabel's black eyes glimmered and she burst into applause. "You look totally gorgeous, Mayor!"

"Agreed," Monique nodded. "I knew you would. How do you feel?"

"This skirt is a little short, actually…" Julia struggled to pull it down, just a little bit.

"A shoe store is going to open soon," Monique walked over to Julia and patted her on the shoulder. "You can buy some stockings then."

Julia felt another pair of eyes on her and she turned to see Takoya, who was bunching his apron up in his hands, his cheeks rapidly turning red.

"W-wow! You look…" Takoya spluttered, fighting the strong urge to hide in his shirt.

"Like a million Bells!" Mabel finished Takoya's sentence for him, beaming. "Luckily, this outfit won't cost quite that much, hehe! It's 700."

"I'll cover that," Monique pulled out a sparkly purse and began rummaging through it.

"I didn't know you worked here," Julia smiled at Takoya and he felt all three of his hearts quiver.

"Y-yeah, I do! Actually…I have some stuff I have to do in back! Bye!" Takoya sped off before Julia could say anything else.

Slamming the door behind him, he covered his face, sinking to the floor in a mess of tentacles.

"Smooth, Takoya, real smooth…" He decided to lie on the floor for a while.

Back outside, Monique and Mabel had finished their Bell exchange, and Mabel sidled up to Julia.

"Hey, Julia, what do you think of Takoya?" Mabel had a mischievous glint in her eyes. She had seen the way her part time worker looked at the new mayor…maybe there was something there!

Julia shrugged. "I think he's an octopus."

Mabel flopped over like a puppet that just got its strings cut. "Julia, that's _cold!"_

Monique threw back her head and laughed the most elegant laugh Julia had ever heard. "Give her time, Mabel, Julia just came to town today," Monique approached Julia and smiled. "Shall we go show Shizue your new look?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Julia grinned. She wasn't going to lie, these new clothes made her feel cool and confident! She was glad everyone seemed to be accepting her so far…animal folk were much less xenophobic than she imagined they would be!

"See you guys later!" Mabel waved an arm like a palm tree in a hurricane. "Come back soon, Mayor!"

"I will!" Julia waved back at Mabel before heading out with Monique.

As soon as they left, Mabel huffed a sigh.

"Now where is that Takoya…? I need to tell him a thing or two about girls…"

_ACACACACACACACACAC_

Hamsuke had a total mental blue screen of death when he learned that his brother was moving in. So much so that Kid Cat actually took pity on the guy and invited him into his house. The two of them were currently sitting on Kid Cat's blue bench, Hamsuke with his face buried in his paws.

"Dude, what's the big deal about your brother? I never saw you so upset!" Kid Cat took off his helmet and squinted at Hamsuke. "Be a man! Look me right in the eyes and tell me what's wrong!"

Hamsuke obliged, rising from his paws to reveal that his eyes were puffy and red. Kid Cat had to choke back a laugh. It was kind of funny to see his rival caught in the unmanly act of fighting back tears…

"I saw that!" Hamsuke slapped Kid Cat across the face, his sadness instantly replaced by anger.

"Dude, I'm trying to help you out!" Kid Cat rubbed his cheek, doing his best to hide the pain. "That was the wimpiest smack ever, by the way. You need to work out more."

"I'm not in the mood to argue right now…" Hamsuke heaved the biggest sigh Kid Cat had ever seen in his life. "Fine, I'll spill about my brother…Graham's the reason I left home. He's a total dork and he always embarrasses me…when everyone learns I'm related to a guy like that, my reputation will be _ruined!"_ Hamsuke tore at his little curl of brown hair, his eyes crazed.

"Dude…really?" Kid Cat blinked at Hamsuke, tilting his head. "I…actually know that feeling!"

"Don't make fun of me, Kid Cat-wait, you do?" Hamsuke's hostility evaporated and he looked at Kid Cat with wide-eyed disbelief.

"Mm-hmm!" Kid Cat nodded, shifting a little on the bench. "Older brother. We tried being roommates when we left the house, but he was a big bully and sooooo grumpy…I couldn't stand him, so that's why I high-tailed it to Bluebell!" Kid Cat flexed a muscle and smirked. "If only my bro could see how brawny I am now…he'd never mess with me again! You know he sent me a letter the other day? It was the funniest thing, oh my gosh!"

"Really?" Hamsuke knelt down, grinning at his former rival. "What did it say?"

Kid Cat and Hamsuke spent an exorbitant amount of time talking about their brothers, eventually making a toast with protein shakes.

"To our budding friendship!" Kid Cat smiled at the much shorter Hamsuke.

"To our stupid brothers!" Hamsuke laughed as they clinked their glasses together.

After taking a big swig of his shake and giving himself a chocolate mustache, Kid Cat looked at Hamsuke again. "Don't worry, bro, I'll make sure your brother doesn't mess with you! One look at these muscles and he'll run the other way!"

"We're bros now?" Hamsuke looked like he didn't quite believe it.

"…yeah, you're right! We are!" Kid Cat laughed, clapping Hamsuke on the shoulder. "You know? I don't even remember why we hated each other in the first place…"

"Me either!" Hamsuke confessed, blushing just a little bit. "Guess the mayor will stop bugging us!"

"Heck yeah! All the more reason to be happy!" Kid Cat raised his glass again. "Cheers to Mayor Julia getting off our backs!"

"Yes!" Hamsuke had to jump a tiny bit in order to clink his glass against Kid Cat's. "I'll drink to that!"


	3. Graham's Welcome

**AN: Okay, I know I said I wouldn't update until the game came out here, but by now I can say that's a total lie. The updates will definitely be more frequent once it comes out where I am! And happily we now have a release date! For now, enjoy my sporadic updates. Hopefully they'll help make the wait easier on you guys! :D**

The next morning came, and news of the new villager had spread throughout Bluebell. Hamsuke, who thought he could take on the world the previous night, had been reduced to a quivering lump and was currently hiding underneath his bed.

"He won't come out! Not even for me!" Kid Cat had knocked on the front flap of the mayor's tent house and was now conversing with a very sleepy, nightgown-clad Julia. "I'm his best bro!"

"Since when?" Julia swallowed an enormous yawn. "When I saw you guys yesterday, you were ready to kill each other."

Kid Cat blushed a bit and looked at his feet. "Yeah, well… we bonded, just like cool dudes do. We won't be getting tangled up in your hair anymore, Julia."

Julia gave Kid Cat a sleepy smile. "Glad to hear it. I think I can give you a hand with Hamsuke. He needs to face the music! I want him and his brother to get along. The last thing I need is more headaches in this Village." Julia shook her sleep-mussed head and Kid Cat chuckled sheepishly.

"I agree, Mayor. Come on, let's go kick Hamsuke's butt!" Kid Cat grabbed Julia by the hand without asking her permission, ran to Hamsuke's house, and shoulder-tackled his slightly ajar door. Kid Cat had left it that way on purpose so he could show Julia how cool and strong he was. It would be good to have a friend in office…! Maybe it would net him some extra goodies during the holidays!

As soon as the two of them stepped through the door, they heard Hamsuke yell "LEEEEEEEEAVE!" Kid Cat and Julia shared a glance, shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Come on, man!" Kid Cat darted forward, dancing around the bowling pins Hamsuke kept in the middle of his floor for some inexplicable reason. "Graham isn't even here yet!"

"Yeah, but he will be!" Hamsuke poked his chubby little head out from underneath his stripy bed, sticking out his lower lip. "I can't deal! I can't deal!" Hamsuke held his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"You said you could 'deal' last night!" Kid Cat planted his hands on his hips and stood over Hamsuke, scowling down at the tiny cowardly hamster. "I told you all about my big bro Kabuki and you said he made Graham seem like a wimpy little teddy bear!"

"Having to deal with Graham is a whole other can of worms…" Hamsuke covered his eyes with his little paws. "He's gonna embarrass me; I just know it!"

"You're embarrassing _yourself_ right now!" Julia appeared behind Kid Cat and Hamsuke peeked out from behind his hands at her.

"Oh, hey Mayor, I didn't know you were here…" Hamsuke blushed a deep dark red. Hiding under his bed in the presence of his friend was one thing, but he would _never _willingly embarrass himself in front of a _girl!_

"Come on Hamsuke, out with you!" Julia bent down and grabbed Hamsuke's paws. He attempted to wrench them from her grasp, but before he could, Julia pulled him out from under his bed. Hamsuke scrambled to his feet, covered in dust bunnies, and looked down at his messy carpet.

"Okay, fine. You win. Happy?" he grumped. Kid Cat grinned and nodded.

"Very," Julia smirked. "Now, come on. I'm sure Graham will be _very_ happy to see that his big brother is there to welcome him at the train station!"

"Please tell me you're joking…" Hamsuke hunched over, a raincloud appearing over his head.

"Nope!" Kid Cat grabbed Hamsuke by the arm and beamed at him. "Julia, go change. We'll meet you at the station, kay? The first train should be here any minute and, with any luck, it'll have Graham on it!"

Julia gave the two of them a two fingered salute before heading home. Kid Cat dragged Hamsuke along, laughing all the way.

_ACACACACACACACACACAC_

A good portion of the town was waiting at the train station. Most of the villagers were there, barring Rolf, who absolutely refused to wake up before noon. Takoya was nervously wringing his tentacles and bobbling back and forth. Secretly, he was hoping that he and Graham would get along. He was always a bit shy, so he could use a friend that wasn't one of his co-workers.

Bunnie and Monique were happily chattering to one another. Bunnie was hoping with all her heart that her new neighbor would be cute, which Monique thought was the most predictable thing ever. Kid Cat was leaning on Hamsuke's head, ensuring that his friend wouldn't try to escape from under his arm. Julia arrived a few minutes later, adjusting the blue dotted dress that she had brought in her suitcase.

"I see he's not here yet…" she observed as she took her place near Hamsuke and Kid Cat.

"Oh, you guys wanna know something neat about this Graham guy?" Kid Cat grinned mischievously at the gathered villagers, who all looked at him with interest.

Hamsuke paled quite a bit and gripped onto Kid Cat's arm. "Don't you _dare,_ Kid Cat!"

"What? They're gonna have to find out eventually, Hamsuke," Kid Cat shrugged and Hamsuke sighed.

"Yeah… I guess… go ahead…" Hamsuke flapped a hand at Kid Cat and the latter brightened.

"Graham is Hamsuke's younger brother!" Kid Cat took his arm off of Hamsuke's head, hunched over, and wrapped his arm around Hamsuke's shoulders. "Hamsuke's all nervous about him coming to live here!"

"Aww, Hamsuke, you don't have to be nervous!" Bunnie giggled a bubbly little giggle. "I bet your bro is gonna be all kinds of awesome!"

"I'm… actually looking forward to meeting him…" Takoya put his tentacles behind his back and tilted his head at Hamsuke, his cheeks turning a little red. "I hope we get along…"

"You don't have anything to worry about, Hamsuke," Julia ruffled the brown fur in between Hamsuke's ears. "Everything's gonna be just fine!"  
Hamsuke let out another great big sigh. "For my own sake, I hope you're right."

After he said that, the loud sound of a train whistle filled the air and the train pulled into the station. Everyone watched it with anticipation and the doors opened to reveal an even chubbier hamster than Hamsuke, carrying two bright yellow suitcases. The hamster had a piggy nose and tiny little glasses and was the exact same shade of yellow as Hamsuke. Hamsuke casually edged behind Kid Cat upon seeing the hamster that was unmistakably his little brother. He hadn't grown at all since Hamsuke saw him last…

Graham brightened when he saw the welcome wagon in front of the train station. He lumbered down the stairs and flashed a buck-toothed grin. "Hi! Nice to meet you all!" he said in a nasally voice that quivered like Jell-O.

"He is _not_ cute…" Bunnie whispered to Monique, a hint of horror in her voice.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Hamsuke?!" Graham dropped his bags and went flying over to his brother, pulling him into an enormous bear hug. "I had _no idea_ you lived in this town! Crazy coincidence, huh?" He broke the hug and beamed right into Hamsuke's eyes.

Hamsuke squinted at his brother. "You're lying."

Graham deflated like a balloon. "Yeah, I'm lying…"

"Hey, I'm the Mayor," Julia cut in, offering a hand to Graham. "Welcome to Bluebell."

"Whoa, mama!" Graham pulled away from Hamsuke and grabbed Julia's hand and vigorously shook it. "You didn't tell me you have human babes in your town, Hamsuke! Truly a rare sight indeed…" Was Graham _drooling?_ "I don't think I _ever_ saw one in person before!"

Takoya narrowed his eyes at Graham. "Don't treat the mayor like that! Just cuz she's human doesn't mean you should treat her any differently!"

Kid Cat raised a brow at that. Takoya never stood up for himself, let alone anyone else! Weird…

"Heh heh… sorry…" Graham rubbed the back of his stubby little neck, finally letting go of Julia's hand. "I was just…overwhelmed. Pleasure to meet ya, my lady." Graham did an over-the-top bow, which made Julia blush a bit. She wasn't a princess, for God's sake…!

"Hey, uh, I'm Monique," Monique gave a little wave and grabbed her friend by the shoulders and thrust her towards Graham. "And this is Bunnie, my best friend."

"Monique!" Bunnie hissed. She was planning to make a quiet escape before this nerdy little hamster saw her, but Monique made that impossible!

"Be nice…" Monique whispered in one of Bunnie's great big rabbit ears. "He's your new neighbor."

Bunnie flopped in defeat. "Fine…" she whispered back. She approached Graham and offered him a paw. "Nice to meet you."

"Wow, this town is _full_ of cute girls!" Graham drooled again as he shook Bunnie's hand just a bit too hard. Bunnie, ever delicate, winced until the handshake was finally finished. "I'm a lucky guy!" He leaned forward, puckering his lips. "How about a welcome smooch?"

"How about no?" Kid Cat grabbed Graham by the back of his shirt and pulled him away, giving Bunnie a sheepish look. "Sorry, Bunnie!"

"Uh, no biggie!" Kid Cat could tell just from the way Bunnie was smiling that it actually _was_ a "biggie." She edged away from the crowd and said "I gotta go do something!" before flying away at the speed of light.

Monique clicked her tongue. Bunnie needed to learn a thing or two about manners…

"Do you need help with your bags, little guy?" Kid Cat flexed an arm. "I can give you a hand!"

Hamsuke gave Kid Cat an odd look and Kid Cat shot him a quick little wink. Hamsuke understood what that meant and relaxed a bit. Graham would be out of his hair for a few precious minutes if Kid Cat helped him move in!

"That would be splendid!" Graham clapped his chubby little paws together. "Thank you!"

"No problem at all…" Kid Cat approached the discarded bags and picked them up like they were nothing. "Let's roll!"

Julia didn't notice, but Takoya was quietly edging over to her. She jumped a bit when Takoya leaned over to whisper in her ear: "Man, Mayor, this town seems like it attracts all kinds of nutty people… are you sure you can handle your job?"

After Julia calmed down, she smoothed her dress and cleared her throat, doing her best to seem professional. "I don't mind! Nutty people mean this is going to be a fun place to live!" She gave Takoya a thumbs-up and the corners of his sucker-mouth turned up a bit.

"You're a much better mayor than I would be…" He sighed with admiration. "Good luck, okay?"

Kid Cat came bolting back over the hill before Julia could thank Takoya. He grabbed her by the shoulders and whirled her around to face him.

"Hey, Mayor, there's a weird lookin' guy outside your tent-house!" Kid Cat didn't sound winded at all, even though he ran all the way back here at such speed! "He said he's looking for you… you should go see what's up!"

"Wow, okay, thanks for the heads up, Kid Cat!" Julia smiled at Kid Cat and he waved her off.

"Oh, it was nothin'. I gotta go help Graham unpack. Let me know what that guy wanted later, okay?" With a little wave, Kid Cat headed back down the hill.

"See you later, Takoya," Julia nodded politely at him before heading off in Kid Cat's direction.

"Bye…" Takoya sighed and folded his tentacles. Why did he always get interrupted when he got the chance to talk to the new mayor?

_She must be busy…_ Takoya resisted the urge to slap himself. _Get it together, Takoya, you're an octopus and she just learned she's got a whole town to run! When things calm down, maybe we can become friends…_

That thought was comforting to Takoya. He smiled to himself as he headed back towards his house.

Monique couldn't help but notice Takoya's little smile. She smirked as she pulled out her phone, texting Bunnie. Takoya really _did _have a crush! This would keep the rumor mill churning for a long, long time!


End file.
